


Omitted Princesses and Foolish Thieves

by KaomisaHell



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, I'm tired, Slow Burn, Some Established Relationships, bandori, chisakanon, i honestly don't know, kaomisa, kokohagu, misakao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26808295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaomisaHell/pseuds/KaomisaHell
Summary: Misaki is assigned a quest and finds an unlikely partnership that will lead to her success
Relationships: Kitazawa Hagumi/Tsurumaki Kokoro, Matsubara Kanon/Shirasagi Chisato, Okusawa Misaki/Seta Kaoru, Wakamiya Eve/Yamato Maya
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	1. In Which Misaki is assigned a quest

MISSING: Kanon Matsubara of the Shirasagi Manor

WAS LAST SEEN: At the Shirasagi Manor

Kanon Matsubara, the fiance to Princess Chisato Shirasagi has disappeared from her living quarters and the city. A photo in her likeness is referenced in the bottom right. If found contact the Circle Knighthood or the Shirasagi Manor at once.

Rewards will be granted if she is returned alive.

\-----

It was a cold and breezy autumn day when Kanon Matsubara went missing. The 22nd of September to be exact, it was strange how one minute someone you know could be present and then they were gone. 

News spread quick, it always did regarding noble figures. Flyers were displayed everywhere, on almost every wall you could see. And yet there was no trace of the blue haired girl.

Kanon Matsubara was such a sweet girl everyone knew her for her kind hearted nature. Her marrying the Princess of Shirasagi manor only meant good news for lower classes. Her good graces and polite manner would be a refresher upon those working for the Shirasagis. The marriage was to be held on the 30th of September, this was good news for everyone.

And then suddenly the Princess woke up, and Kanon did not reside in the manor anymore. No matter how hard they searched, no matter how many flyers they put up, Kanon wouldn’t show. It has been five days since Kanon’s disappearance. Five days of suffering and agony for the Duchess, five days of dread for the lower classes, and five days of desperation for the knighthood. 

And desperation called for drastic measures.

On the 27th of September the Knighthood of Circle took the liberty of searching far and wide into the Tsurumaki forest, woodland of oddities and wonders, until they found her.

Now it wasn’t Kanon, it wasn’t as simple as that. When most people went missing they were easily found, as long as they were within the city limits. But when the worst came to shove, the only place left to look was the forest, and how the Knighthood hated the forest. They say, if you go too deep, you’ll never return. 

Entering such a forest to look for the wife of the Princess was impossible for simple humans, even if the Princess had first say. It just wasn’t manageable. Humans didn’t know how to navigate the forest, even the ones that possessed powers were left defenseless to the oddities of the forest. 

So there left only one option, and that was to get someone who could navigate the twisted woodland. And that had happened to be Misaki Okusawa. 

\-----

Misaki felt the rough gloved hands of knights, clambering around in their big chunky armor, tight on her right arm. She was being escorted into a private sector of the Shirasagi Manor. Definitely a much fancier place than she was used to. 

One of the knights tugged on her arm, in response to the brunette dragging her feet. She had already agreed to talk to the Princess; she didn’t understand why they had to be so forceful about it. It made sense, in a way, humans were weak and would go to great lengths to achieve their desires. Apparently that included taking Misaki from her home while she was sleeping. 

But there was nothing she could do about it, she didn’t want to risk the multitude of knights trampling over her home, as they were known to do. She was an average girl, she didn’t stand out much. If you put her in a crowd of people nobody would notice her, nor her reason for living in the forest. She could only hope the Princess would realize her knights had brought her a useless average girl that would serve no help to their current issue. She would be returned home and left to her peace. That’s all she could hope for. 

One of the Knights grunted and pushed Misaki forward towards a large door, two servants stood to each side, glancing in her direction. She felt so out of place, she could feel her cheeks burning from embarrassment. Everything about the manor was so extravagant, from the polished marble pillars, to the gold trim of the windows, the servants looked like they were dressed for a ball, in their fancy articulate outfits. Misaki paled in comparison to all of these things, she might as well have been comparing a bouquet of flowers to a worn down shoe. 

She had tried to look presentable, even on short notice, a simple white hand me down dress was all she had to offer. And boy was it dull. 

“The Princess is in there, be respectful you forest creep.” One of the Knights sneered, shoving Misaki towards the door once more. The knights had a look of disgust on his face, turning around quickly and walking off with the rest of the knights.

“Rude…” Misaki mumbled under her breath, turning her attention back to the door, the two servants quickly opened the door, to let Misaki make an entrance. 

She was subjected to the likes of the Princess’s chambers, a room much bigger than Misaki’s entire cottage. A bed large enough to host at least four people sat in the middle of the room, neatly folded silk sheets strewn on top of the mattress. A bookshelf and a dresser decorated the sides of the walls. The most noticeable thing about the room had to be the large window on the furthest wall, and the gorgeous view it had to offer. The orange tinged trees of the Tsurumaki Forest could be seen, as well as the villages and mountains on the horizon. And there sitting in a softly cushioned chair, was Chisato Shirasagi, the Princess herself, her right hand lady beside her.

Misaki sucked in a breath, and shut the door behind her. That quickly got the Princess’s attention, the blonde haired beauty turning around to stare at Misaki.

Misaki quickly bowed, feeling overwhelmed by the presence of royalty, “Y-Your Highness, I’m honored to be in your presence.” She muttered, stumbling over her words. 

Chisato stood up from her chair, dusting off her skirt as if she had been doing something to dirty herself. She gave Misaki a calculating look, looking her up and down with her piercing purple eyes.

“You don’t look like you’re from the forest.” Chisato finally said, waving a hand at Misaki, signalling for her to stand up.

Misaki didn’t know whether or not to take that as a compliment, but nevertheless nodded, “Thank you, your highness-”

“Don’t bother with that ‘highness’ talk. Just refer to me by my last name and we’re fine.” Chisato replied, shooting another harsh look Misaki’s way, “I’m assuming you know why I’ve called you here?”

“Uhh- vaguely, I was kind of hauled out of my home-” Misaki answered, watching as Chisato paced towards her.

“I suppose that’s what you get when you send a bunch of meatheads out to find a forest inhabitant. I’ll have to talk to Marina about their incompetence.” Chisato scoffed, “But at least they brought a reliable source.”

“Ah- with all due respect… Shirasagi-san.. I’m just a very average inhabitant of the woods. Nothing is… special about me. I have no special talents, and I’m not all that athletic either. I don’t think I’ll be of much help.”

“But of course you are.” Chisato said, walking up to Misaki, calmly observing her once again, “Explain to me why, a perfectly ordinary girl such as yourself would be living in the middle of the woods. Surely we would house a human such as yourself, but you choose to live there. There’s a reason, we both know it…” Chisato glanced at Misaki, “What’s your name?”

Misaki sucked in another breath, “Misaki.. Misaki Okusawa.”

“Yes, Misaki-chan. I’ll repeat myself. Would you care to explain to me, why you, an average girl… is living in the middle of the woods?” Chisato asked, purple eyes staring into Misaki’s.

Misaki opened her mouth once at a loss for words. Not only was the Princess beautiful but she was sharp. 

“That’s what I thought. You’re perfectly suited for such a task.” Chisato said, a small smile showing up on her face. The blonde turned away from Misaki, “Aya-chan, would you go fetch the token while I sit with Misaki-chan?” 

The pink haired lady in waiting perked up, who had been zoning out by the looks of it, “Y-Yes, Chisato-chan!” Aya said, quickly exiting the room.

Chisato watched as Aya left the room, walking off to the window and pulling out two chairs, “Care to sit?”

Misaki quickly nodded and sat down in the empty chair as Chisato did the same. 

“Now you said you have a vague description of why you’re here. I’m terribly sorry those knights can be such savages. I’ll put them in their place when I’ve sent you off.” Chisato said, propping her chin up with her hand, “Misaki-chan do you know of the royal order?”

Misaki shook her head, “I don’t believe so Shirasagi-san.” Misaki said in reply, swallowing her nervousness. 

“Then let me explain. There’s a strong system that holds up this entire city and kingdom even. While it may be small it’s powerful in its own regard. Every single lower class, whether they be a peasant, a knight, or a noble, has their place in holding up the kingdom. They’re kind of like pillars in a way. Each pillar holds part of the kingdom up, if one of these pillars were to fall… a catastrophe would surely follow. One of these pillars happens to be the royal family itself, my pillar. You see without the intense yet careful rule of the royal family, no one would know what to do. My parents are getting old Misaki-chan, they can’t continue to live, with the fragility of a human life there’s not a chance they’ll last much longer. With myself aging into my twenties it’s time for me to take over the throne. But, historically kingdoms must be ruled by two. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Chisato did a once over of Misaki again, making sure she was following along properly.

Misaki nodded quickly, signalling for Chisato to continue. 

Chisato took a breath in, “I was to get married to Kanon Matsubara in three days. Kanon…” Chisato’s stern expression fell, worry creeping onto her face, “Kanon was such a sweet girl. The sweetest around… She had blue hair, and beautiful purple eyes, she had a gentle and loving nature. She was fond of sea life and we would often go to the beach together. She was the daughter of a noble, we had known each other since we were in our teens. Such a kind and loving girl was exactly the kind of person I wanted to get married to, and then three months ago I was given the chance. And she said yes, it was a happy ending for both of us…” 

The blonde took in a shaky breath as if she was preparing herself for a draining exercise, “But she was stolen from me. On the 22nd my love was stolen from my grasp. I woke up and suddenly she was gone, no trace of her left behind. We searched all over the manor, to the garden and the beach. Soon I got desperate. We went to her house, and every shop, the marketplace, the knights searched every villager’s house. But there was no Kanon to be found. I couldn’t find her… I don’t know where she is and I’m worried sick. I need to find Kanon.” Chisato’s voice started to crack, as if she were on the verge of tears. The blonde put a hand to her chest, taking a few deep breaths. 

Misaki patiently waited for Chisato to calm down, not wanting to interrupt the Princess in her moment of sorrow. To be honest she actually felt for Chisato, she was no longer annoyed by the draining task of coming to the manor and getting dressed, she was more concerned for this person she had just met. 

Just as Chisato was calming down, Chisato’s attendant darted into the room, her pink hair unmistakable, “Chisato-chan I got the token- oh- ah- is this a bad time?” Aya asked, suddenly aware of Chisato’s state of distress. 

“No, no.” Chisato waved at Aya in a dismissive manner, “It’s alright Aya-chan, come sit next to me. We’re almost done.”

Aya nodded, pulling up a chair next to Chisato, placing an object in Chisato’s hands. 

Chisato pulled in another breath, “The only place we have yet to look is the Tsurumaki forest. Such a place is far too treacherous for our knights to explore. It’s been five days, Kanon could never return without the guidance of someone who knows the forest well. That’s where you come in Misaki-chan.” 

Chisato stood up and gingerly placed a small cloth into Misaki’s hands, “This is Kanon’s handkerchief, she always had it on her, but for some reason it remained in her chambers. It’s distinct of her scent and presence… It’s one of the only mementos I have of her at the moment.” 

Misaki finally found the courage to speak up, “Shirasagi-san, why are you giving this to me..?” Misaki asked, glancing up at the blonde.

“Because I need you to track down Kanon. I’ll offer anything the kingdom can provide to you, any reward and amount of money-” Chisato started.

“Any reward?” Misaki asked, her face lighting up with surprise. 

“Yes, any reward, just please-” Chisato grasped Misaki’s hands in hers, “Find my Kanon. Please.” 

Misaki paused for just a moment, taking in the gravity of the situation that had been set on her shoulders. Was she really prepared to do this? 

‘I’ll offer anything the kingdom can provide to you, any reward’

Misaki looked up at Chisato, newfound confidence in her eyes, “I won’t let you down, Shirasagi-san.” 

\-----

A light breeze pulled through the trees of Tsurumaki forest, sunlight streaming in through gaps in the leaves above. The green brush was tinged orange with the sudden expectancy of fall looming closeby. Birds called out left and right, filling the forest with a chorus of songs and calls. It was truly a forest of tranquility. Why humans were afraid of it, Misaki didn’t know.

Misaki trudged through the thick shrubbery, pulling up her dress skirts, it was truly an inconvenient path to walk in fancy garments. She would usually prefer a less loose outfit, but it was what it was. 

The brunette clutched the handkerchief close to her chest, making sure no harm came to it. Miraculously the only thing the Princess had left her off with was the small cloth itself. Chisato had such faith in her that she assumed Misaki had all the materials she needed. It was quite an oversight considering the fact that Misaki lived in the goddamn woods, but she wasn’t one to argue with royalty. 

Misaki’s eyes darted upward, moving aside a branch in her way. The path from the village to the forest had been engraved into Misaki’s mind, as the two nuisances often ran off towards the kingdom. Which wasn’t a good idea considering their appearances. 

Suddenly something rushed in front of Misaki from above, swinging from a tree branch. Orange filled Misaki’s vision, and Misaki immediately knew she wasn’t in danger.

“Mii-kun! You’re back!” Hagumi said, cheerfully, hanging upside down from a tree branch, orange bangs sliding off of her forehead. 

Misaki let out a sigh, “Yep, I’m back. Now get out of the way, I need to get into the cottage.” 

Hagumi swung off of the branch, landing next to Misaki, “I can’t believe you actually went into the castle! Was it pretty? Was the Princess nice? Oh! Did you bring a souvenir? Or a rock? Hey, what’s that?” Hagumi pointed at the handkerchief Misaki was holding.

“Something the Princess gave me. And no, you can’t have it.” Misaki said, proceeding to only answer the last question. 

“Aww, that’s okay though! I tidied up the cottage for you while you were away though! You wanna see? Come see!” Hagumi said, impatiently pointing towards the brown cottage in the distance. 

Hagumi Kitazawa was a strange subject. When Misaki had moved to the woods Hagumi was the first humanoid creature she had met. But Hagumi was far from human. Shapeshifters were feared by humans, for their changing forms and trickery. Misaki even had a bias against them when she first moved in. Of course that fear was quickly diminished when the first shapeshifter she ever met was Hagumi. 

Hagumi wasn’t a liar, and she wasn’t clever in the slightest. She was very cheerful, her sunny disposition was always apparent. Hagumi lived with her family in a cave nearby, Hagumi was friends with the woodland sprites and the fairies, and she had an affinity for croquettes and ball games. Hagumi liked to help with Misaki’s house chores, and loved humans. Hagumi isn't harmful at all. She was a lovely creature. 

“Mii-kun! You didn’t answer my question before! Was the Princess nice? I’ve always wanted to see a princess… well I mean like a human one! I’ve already seen a princess but not a human princess!” Hagumi asked, following Misaki into the dimly lit cottage. 

Misaki tilted her head in thought, “Well.. the Princess… was very kind actually. She was probably the nicest out of all of the people I met. The Knights were mean and pushed me around, but the Princess was kind and explained everything to me.” Misaki said, smiling a bit as she set down the silken handkerchief delicately on a tabletop.

“What’d they even need you for anyways, Mii-kun? I was scared when you left I thought you were gonna die.” Hagumi said, sitting down at one of the table’s chairs. 

“I’ve been assigned to go find a human girl who’s lost.” Misaki said, heading to her bedroom. Such a small cottage only allowed a kitchen and a bedroom, so the walls were thin enough for Misaki to hear Hagumi. 

“Oooh, really? That’s weird, why would she ask you to do that?” 

“The kingdom has a record of me leaving you know, Hagumi. They know I live out in the woods, and they used me to their advantage. I know the woods well, and I’m…. vaguely human. I was their best bet, and I didn’t refuse the offer.” Misaki took off her dress and threw it in her laundry basket, proceeding to rummage around in her closet, making do with a semi-neat shirt and a pair of pants. 

“You’re so nice Mii-kun!” Hagumi exclaimed, “But does that mean you’re gonna be gone again? I’ll miss you if you’re leaving again!” 

“Well I have to. I’m not just going to find the girl if I stick around here.” Misaki said, walking out of her bedroom. 

Hagumi had a confused look on her face, “How long are you gonna be gone?” Hagumi asked, her expression falling into a frown.

Misaki looked out of her cottage window and sighed, “I don’t know Hagumi..” 

Hagumi went silent for a moment, and then looked up at Misaki, “When are you going to tell Kokoron?”  
That caused Misaki to think for a bit. She hadn’t thought about that. She had taken upon the quest so fast, she hadn’t thought about Kokoro. Hagumi took things relatively easy, she had her siblings, and her ball game team to rely on, and Kokoro especially. Those two got along great, Hagumi would get off fine. But Kokoro… Kokoro had a hard time understanding these kinds of things. She wouldn’t let her off that easily.

Misaki sat leaned against the kitchen counter thinking for a moment longer, “I mean I’ll have to tell her sooner or later, right? I’m planning on leaving soon… probably tonight…” 

“Tonight?! Mii-kun, Kokoron isn’t gonna take that well at all! And you just got back…” Hagumi said, her saddened expression deepening. 

“A-Ah, Hagumi- I-” Misaki reached up to place a hand on Hagumi’s back, “Hagumi.. I have to do this. The Princess… She offered me any reward. I could fix my problem, I could get you all more resources, me going on this quest would be beneficial for all of us. You know I’m able to do this on my own, and I know you’re strong. Hagumi please, tell me you’ll be okay on your own, without me.”

Hagumi turned to face Misaki, “Mii-kun…” Hagumi’s expression turned determinant, “If you really have to go then… yeah! I can do that, you just have to promise to come home safe Mii-kun! We all care about you a lot you know? Things have gotten a lot more happy with you around.” 

A small smile appeared on Misaki’s face, “I’m glad you think that of me Hagumi…” Misaki glanced out the window once more, the sunlight fading into an orange color, “It’s almost night, Kokoro and the others should be preparing for dinner. Should we head out?”

Hagumi nodded, excitedly, “Mhm! Let’s go! I wonder what we’re having this time, I hope it’s croquettes! Ooh or maybe Kokoron came up with a new food recipe?” 

Misaki stuck her tongue out in distaste, “I hope not, the last meal made me sick.” 

“Aww, but she really was trying y’know? I liked the meal!” Hagumi said with a smile. 

Misaki and Hagumi walked out of the cottage into the grotto, at least that’s what Misaki referred to it as. It was a miracle that Misaki had even stumbled upon such a clearing like the grotto, it was as if the forest had drawn her to it in a moment of desperation.

The thing about Tsurumaki forest was that all it’s wonder and magic stemmed from the grotto itself. And specifically the Tsurumakis. Such a forest was home to shapeshifters, trolls, beasts, sprites, and many creatures alike. Whenever a magical entity had been shunned from the human world, it retreated to the forest. Because the forest was home to that pure wonder. And the Tsurumakis supported that wonder.

Hagumi scampered in front of Misaki, crouching down low to the ground, “Kokoron! Mii-kun is back, we’re here for dinner!” Hagumi said, excited, looking out into the neatly trimmed field of grass.

Hagumi’s calls were immediately received as small bursts of light fluttered out from the grass. A bright yellow one zooming towards Hagumi, the light hit Hagumi’s face which caused Hagumi to laugh.

A small blonde fairy was clinging to Hagumi’s nose, and that fairy happened to Kokoro Tsurumaki. 

“Kokoron! Hello!” Hagumi said, standing up. 

“Hello Hagumi! I thought you were going to be late for dinner, but I had my hopes up!” Kokoro’s light cheery voice said. 

Kokoro was the heiress to the Tsurumaki forest, which of course Misaki had qualms with. Letting such a braindead fairy take over the literal garden of magic was a little concerning. But at least she had the energy and motivation to do so. Kokoro was a small fairy, she possessed numerous magic skills, she loved to sing, she lived in the largest oak tree Misaki had ever laid eyes on. Here in the grotto the entire population of fairies resided. And somehow out of all of the possible fairies she could’ve befriended she found the most hyperactive one. Perhaps Misaki attracted that kind of person, dumb yet surprisingly happy people. She supposed that made sense with Hagumi and Kokoro being her two closest friends.

“Misaki! I missed you a lot!” Kokoro fluttered up onto Misaki’s shoulder, staring up at Misaki.

“I was only gone for one day, Kokoro.” Misaki said, giving Kokoro a small smile. 

“Well your smile is still important to me! I didn’t see it all day!” Kokoro said frowning a bit, “I can’t believe you went to the kingdom! Hagumi was just telling me about it while you were zoning out!” 

“That’s right I was! I told her all about the pretty princess you met! Of course she wasn’t as pretty as Kokoron I’m betting!” Hagumi said, standing upright. 

Misaki laughed, “She was almost as pretty as Kokoro, let’s go with that.” 

What a strange relationship those two had. They were practically on the same wavelength at this point. They constantly kept up with each other letting out constant bursts of energy. Misaki wished she had that type of energy.

“Misaki! We made soup today, your favorite type too! It’s a welcome back gift! Hey, hey! Misaki, what do you want to do tomorrow? I wanna play a game so we can go into the deep part of the woods and play tag again!” Kokoro rambled on, her cheerful voice sending Misaki into a horrible pit of guilt.

Misaki bit her lip and repressed a sigh. Hagumi gave Misaki a worried look and looked back at Kokoron, “W-Well, Kokoron… Mii-kun might be tired y’know so we shouldn’t put too much work on her right now.” Hagumi said, helping to the best of her ability. 

“Hm? Well I guess you’re right! I’ll go see if the others are done with the soup!” Kokoro said, smiling brightly as she flew off.

Hagumi and Misaki paused for a moment watching as Kokoro’s yellow light trail faded.

“Ugh, I didn’t know this would be so hard.” Misaki muttered, running a hand through her hair.

Hagumi nodded, frowning, “I know… it’s so hard to say no to her cute face…”

Misaki gave a skeptical look to Hagumi before letting out a loud sigh, “Should I tell her while we’re eating dinner? I want to leave before nightfall.” 

“I guess you should, I’ll help you! I can be very helpful actually!” Hagumi said, giving Misaki a confident look. 

Misaki gave Hagumi a small smile, “Yes, you are very helpful.”

Kokoro darted back to the two, “It’s ready! The soup is ready! Misaki, Hagumi! C’mon!” Kokoro said, her tiny hands tugging on the fabric of Hagumi’s shirt.

“Ah! Okay I’m coming Kokoron!” Hagumi said, following Kokoro to the base of the oak tree.

The oak tree is where all the fairies lived, since they were such small creatures they required little space to live. Every branch of the massive tree housed hundreds of fairies. While they were clearly the superior species in the forest, other creatures were allowed to live around the base of the tree. It was a nice and well thought out hierarchy in the forest. Not that there was much of a natural order to be maintained anyways. 

Bowls flew left and right around the tree, illuminated by a small sparkly glow surrounding the objects. It was a very cliche type of magic, it’s the kind you would expect fairies to have when you were kids. They could levitate things with their minds, they emitted light, and had cute butterfly shaped wings. But even with their large amount of power and control among the forest, fairies were quite docile creatures. Misaki had never heard of an instance where a fairy had inflicted harm purposefully upon someone.

A large bowl filled to the brim with steaming soup levitated slowly towards Misaki as well as a spoon, the brunette grabbing it out of the air. Communal meals were apparently commonplace in the grotto, fairies were meant to serve the forest as the protectors and leaders, it was only natural that they provided food as well. 

Kokoro sat herself on Hagumi’s shoulder, with a small bowl in her two hands. Hagumi was leaning against the tree next to Misaki already halfway done with her soup, “Misaki! I know you didn’t wanna answer before but are you sure there isn’t anything you want to do tomorrow? I have lots of ideas, so I could give you some!” 

Misaki sucked in a breath through her teeth, cringing at the question. Kokoro just couldn’t seem to make this any easier for her, “Kokoro…”

“Yes, what is it?” Kokoro asked, tilting her head to the side.

Hagumi gave Misaki a worried look, before looking back down at the curious fairy resting on her shoulder. 

“Kokoro, you know how I went to the human village this morning?” Misaki asked, using questions to try to lighten the undeniable blow.

Kokoro nodded, “Mhm! But I don’t see what that has to do with what we’re gonna do tomorrow.”

“Well-” Misaki started, looking down at Hagumi and Kokoro. Hagumi gave Misaki a short nod, telling her to continue. 

Misaki took in a deep breath, “I was taken there for a reason. And the Princess, the human one, wants me to do something for her. It’s something that’s going to require a lot of time and effort but it’s worth it in the end. And to do this thing, I’m going to leave the grotto for a while. And I’m leaving tonight.” 

Kokoro gave Misaki a confused look, “Tonight? But… you can’t leave tonight! We have to play together tomorrow!” 

Misaki frowned again, guilt flooding her chest, “I can’t play tomorrow Kokoro, it has to wait for a while…” 

Kokoro set down her soup in her lap, “But you just got back.”

“I know… I already told Hagumi and she agrees that I should be able to do this. You’ll have Hagumi and everyone else here. In the end it’ll put a huge smile on that Human Princess’s face. And that’s your favorite thing right? Smiles?” Misaki tried, looking down at Kokoro once more.

“...That’s right Mii-kun! The Human Princess is gonna be so happy once Mii-kun does this thing for her! She’s helping to make the world smile!” Hagumi spoke up, encouraging Misaki.

Kokoro was quiet for a few moments, “Then you have to go don’t you? You have to make the Human Princess smile! If we make the Princess smile then that’s one more smile that’s lighting up the world!” Kokoro gave Misaki a big smile which washed away all past regrets.

Misaki smiled, “That’s exactly it Kokoro… After I finish dinner I’m going to leave. But I’ll be back soon. I promise.” 

“You have to promise from the bottom of your heart though! That way the promise stays true!” Kokoro said, darting over to Misaki’s shoulder, looking up at the larger girl.

“I promise, from the bottom of my heart that I’ll be back.” Misaki said, setting her bowl down.

The small fairy hugged the base of Misaki’s neck, a sure sign of Kokoro’s affection. It was apparent that Hagumi felt left out as she was soon hugging Misaki as well.

“I’m gonna miss you so much Mii-kun!” 

“Me too! We’ll keep your cottage nice and clean for you and everything!”

“Thank you, guys.” Misaki said, returning the hugs, “I’ll miss you two a lot.”

\-----

Tracking was a lot harder than it seemed. Misaki was soon brought to this harsh reality, relying off of scents lingering on handkerchiefs wasn’t exactly the best strategy. 

Misaki had left the grotto shortly after saying her goodbyes to Hagumi and Kokoro. She had packed a backpack full of food, extra clothes, and water. She had the handkerchief, a notebook, and a dagger as well. 

The darker deeper parts of the woods weren’t as scary as they seemed, while the bramble was thick and the occasional animal scrambled around Misaki’s path, she seemed to be faring well. 

But the tracking… Misaki didn’t even know where to start with the tracking. Sure she had tracked stuff before but that was usually when she was… in her other mode. Small animals, lost creatures, Hagumi and Kokoro messing around near the human border, you know she’s tracked those kinds of things. She was adept to it, Misaki had an excellent sense of smell. It was inhuman to say the least, she could track certain scents with amazing accuracy, their exact path and location was easy to find. Usually. Usually that was the case. But with this scent… 

Human perfumes and floral scents clogged the handkerchief, sending Misaki for a loop. No matter how many times she tried to get accustomed to the new scent on the handkerchief she just couldn’t find it in herself to do so. 

She probably just wasn’t used to human scents, she sure as hell wasn’t when she entered that fancy castle. But still, why was this so difficult for her? 

Misaki held the handkerchief up to her nose once more, taking in the scent, after removing it her head spun a little, floral scents similar to it clogged her senses. The brunette shook her head, in a lazy attempt to clear it. 

She cursed under her breath and continued to the left, where the scent was the strongest. It was strange though, she usually wasn’t alone during these kinds of situations. Usually she was chasing after Kokoro or Hagumi after one of the two decided to pull a prank on her or what not. It felt lonely without the two.

Misaki scowled at how bad she already felt without the two’s companionship. She was going to be out here for a while. She shouldn’t be that dependent on the two. She knew she shouldn’t but she couldn’t help it. After being exiled from her own family, her own world they were the two who let her into a new one. 

Misaki sighed and continued on her path. The sky grew darker as clouds started accumulating on the horizon, “Hope it doesn’t rain…” Misaki muttered to herself, stepping over a log.

The mysterious quietness that surrounded Misaki was unnerving, she had never been in such a quiet section of the forest before. It was odd… she didn’t like it.

“What to do to fill the quietness…” Misaki whispered to herself, cringing at her attempt at filling the silence.

Misaki instead quietly hummed and thought about her future circumstances. For example, where on earth was she going to sleep tonight? She had absolutely no idea. Misaki was fine sleeping outside, a tree would do nicely, or perhaps a cave. But most caves were occupied by the inhabitants of the forest. 

A sharp breeze swayed through the trees, making Misaki shudder. She sure was going to miss the heated comfort of her cabin though. 

Misaki pulled her cloak tighter to her body, stopping at a clearing within the bramble. She looked up, the sky was cloudy and dark, not a star could be seen. The sun had set by now, and a consistent wind picked up through the forest every few seconds. 

What shitty circumstances Misaki now found herself in. Maybe she should’ve left tomorrow or later… but she was already too far from the grotto by now, it was better to continue on towards the end goal. 

Misaki took another large whiff of the handkerchief, the smell growing more distinct suddenly. It seemed that she was going in the correct direction. Hooray for Misaki! One good thing in this load of shit!

The brunette gazed into the thick bramble ahead of her, that was going to be hard to navigate in the dark… In compensation for Misaki’s keen sense of smell, Misaki had horrible eyesight. Well it wasn’t horrible, that was an over exaggeration. Misaki just couldn’t see all that well in the dark. 

Misaki rummaged around in her bag, a feeling of relief washing over her as she had luckily remembered to pack a lantern. 

The lantern quickly lit up, fueled by fairy magic. A bright luminescent blue light emitted from the lantern, illuminating the area around Misaki. 

Thank Kokoro and her specie’s odd magic. 

Misaki continued along her path, confidence restored with the blue light leading her path. As she continued along making the occasional turn or straying from her previous route, the winds continued to pick up. The sound of rustling leaves filled Misaki’s ears, her hair blowing into her face every few seconds. 

Misaki tried to ignore the harsh winds to the best of her ability, it was bearable. She was wearing tight fitted clothes and she should be fine. And she was fine! She was great even, until the rain kicked in. Heavy droplets of rain poured down on the forest, absolutely soaking Misaki’s hair and outfit in the process. 

“Crud-” Misaki restrained herself from cursing as the rain continued to pour down on her. 

She hated this, she hated everything about this. Why’d she leave today, why’d she even agree to do this? Misaki knew all the answers to these questions but her pessimism stopped her from reasoning with herself. 

The brunette grew impatient as she was continuously bombarded by rain and wind, she picked up her pace, clutching the handkerchief close to her chest, keeping it safe from the rain.

Right, left, forward, left, right, right again, left, forward. Misaki turned throughout the heavy bramble, speed walking through the forest. Her shoes were messy from the mud, her cloak was starting to grow heavy from the rain. 

Misaki just wanted to get out of this crummy weather. Misaki restrained herself from screaming as she made a sharp turn through a bush, which was apparently an overstep on Misaki’s part. A branch tripped Misaki and she fell onto the grass below.

Misaki cursed as her arms hit the ground. Misaki’s left arm stayed close to her chest, protecting the handkerchief but her right was met with a pleasant surprise. The grass below her was somehow completely dry. 

Misaki shuffled onto her knees, eyes darting around her surroundings. Her lantern was lying on its side, Misaki grabbed it and peered upwards. She seemed to be surrounded by some sort of bubble. Rain bounced off the top of the bubble, protecting the area from any kind of weather. The bubble expanded much farther than Misaki’s eyes would allow her to see. 

She helped herself up to her feet, making sure she had all her belongings. Her backpack had caught on what seemed to be a rosebush, it was tall and well maintained, Misaki had caught herself in it when she made that sharp turn.

Misaki walked around it, and immediately stopped in her tracks. Just beyond that bothersome rosebush was a huge mansion. A large illuminated building sat just two hundred feet beyond Misaki. It was surrounded by a well maintained garden, fountains, and gazebos. Lights could be seen from the mansion, but no people. The most notable thing about the location was the fact that the scent she had been previously tracking was stronger than ever.

Misaki held the handkerchief up to her nose once more, yep something was definitely here.

But she was confused as to why she had stumbled upon all of this. She had been living in the woods for years upon years and never once had she ever heard of a huge mansion just sitting in the middle of the woods. Surely one of the creatures that made its way to the grotto would talk about such a place. Right?

Misaki took a few steps forward following the scent. 

She took time to admire the lack of wind and rain inside of this secure bubble. The rose bushes made nice scenery and the pleasant noise of fountains trickling water rhythmically was beyond soothing. 

Never before had Misaki seen so many roses. Whoever owned this place had an affinity for them. Red in particular, but wasn’t that the trademark color for them? But nevertheless multiple colors of roses were scattered about the garden, pinks, and whites, and yellows added character to the large garden. It brought a smile to Misaki’s face.

Misaki shook her head. Focus Misaki! Quest to find the Princess’s fiance first, pretty roses second! Misaki walked faster through the garden, doing her best to ignore the variety of roses. 

Misaki came to the side of the mansion finally, the polished white outsides of the mansion shining in the pale light coming from it’s windows. The scent was overbearing here. She could smell all the little floral scents in the area. What luck. Perhaps Misaki would get it off easy and find Kanon hiding in this mansion conveniently placed in the woods. And the only trouble to befall her would’ve been that horrible trek through the rain. 

But… it almost seemed too easy. She had assumed it would’ve been a lot harder than this. Were the holy divinities really just giving her a pass on this one? She felt antsy. And to think about it… wasn’t she technically intruding upon someone’s space. This wasn’t her mansion, what if someone saw her? What if they got angry at her? Fear gnawed at her insides, and she debated continuing her task or turning back. But with Misaki’s distaste for the weather outside, she would rather stick with her chances in the bubble.

Misaki walked along the outer wall to the building, the scent growing stronger by the second. She was close to a similar bearer of the scent she could feel it. 

She eventually stopped at an area on the wall. Vines climbed up the wall to the mansion, small roses decorating the outer vines in a pleasant way. Misaki held her lantern up to the vines, searching through them carefully.

Thorns scratched against Misaki’s hands, accursed roses… Misaki’s eyes landed on a new color filling her vision, attached to one of the thorns appeared to be a blue and yellow hair clip. It had little fake flowers on it and a purple cotton clipping. The blue flower was torn, and attached to one of the thorns. 

Misaki pulled the hair clip off of the thorn, examining it further. She held it up to her nose, and it was unmistakably the exact same scent that the handkerchief held, “What in the world…” Misaki muttered to herself, her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind her.

Misaki’s previous fears of being rightfully accused of intrusion resurfaced as the footsteps grew louder. Should she run, should she bail? Her legs wouldn’t move, her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

“My, my…” A low and feminine voice rang out from behind Misaki.

Misaki’s heartbeat picked up, and she slowly turned around.

Standing just a foot away from her was another woman, taller than her. Her purple hair was pulled into a high ponytail, her outfit was formal and fancy. She smelled of formal perfumes, and her red crimson eyes seemed to pierce through Misaki’s skin as the woman stared at her.

The thing Misaki had noticed first before any of the previous descriptions was the sword hooked to the edge of the woman’s pants. Misaki’s expression grew worrisome, she was going to die from intrusion.

The woman stared at Misaki calculatingly before placing one of her slender fingers on Misaki’s cheeks, “Now what is a little kitten such as yourself doing out and about in this tempest?”

Curiosity killed the cat, and in this scenario, Misaki was that poor unlucky feline.


	2. In Which Misaki Meets A Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misaki finds herself in uncharted territory when the mysterious owner of a mansion invites her into their humble abode.

“Now what is a little kitten such as yourself doing out and about in this tempest?” The tall woman said, tentatively placing her hand on Misaki’s cheek.

Misaki shuddered at the very touch, her heart racing from fear. She couldn’t believe how stupid she was, and on the first day of her quest. It was only hours ago when she was expressing how she was ‘fully capable’ of going out on her own. What a load of shit that was, she was already in trouble. 

The two stayed quiet for a beat, the woman staring at Misaki quizzically, in almost a teasing manner. It made Misaki’s skin crawl, the brunette finally worked up the courage to let out some meek words, “I-” She started, internally cringing at her cowardice. 

There was another moment of silence, the taller’s stare encouraging Misaki to continue.

“I-I got lost and I stumbled upon this place- I-I didn’t mean to intrude, I’ll leave right now just please don’t kill me!” Misaki said quickly, her hands clenched around the handkerchief and the hair clip in preparation for whatever was to come next. 

The woman looked taken aback, “Kill you? Why ever would I do that to such a darling kitten?” She took her hand off of Misaki’s cheek, Misaki’s body untensing from the girl's words.

“You… You aren’t mad?” Misaki asked, glancing back up at those dark red eyes.

“I have no reason to be mad. I was simply worried, you poor thing… You’re soaked from the rain. The wrath of the Gods is surely unjustified, why they punish you so is beyond me.” The woman said, raising a hand up in the air, which was strangely overdramatic. Did rich people often act like this? 

“A-Ah… Well thank you- for worrying, that’s really nice… but I’m fine! So I’ll just make my way off of your property now..” Misaki said, shuffling a few steps away from the girl.

“Off of my property? But you will be subjected to the likes of the storm! Do you wish misery upon yourself, little kitten? I insist that you come dry off in my estate!” The woman looked aghast at the sheer suggestion of Misaki venturing off into the rain.

Misaki let out an awkward laugh, “Well… I mean I think I’ve dried off enough here- I don’t want to be a bother Miss…” Her cheeks burnt with embarrassment, she didn’t understand why this stranger was being so nice to her. Especially in her state, clothes covered in mud and water, hair messy and unkempt. She was a walking disaster compared to the clean cut woman in front of her. 

“Nonsense, my dear! It is the duty of the higher classes to provide shelter for cute kittens such as yourself! You shall stay here tonight and you may venture on in the morning, that is my one request of you.” The woman said, striking another dramatic pose. 

Misaki stayed quiet for a moment. Was this girl… on something? She had previously assumed she was going to murder her, but then she opened her mouth and all assumptions washed away. She was dramatic and had a strange affinity for the word, ‘kitten.’ But still, despite her polite personality Misaki had qualms with staying at a complete strangers house. 

“Mmm… I don’t really know…” Misaki said, fidgeting with the handkerchief in her hand.

“You’ll surely get a cold if you try to outlive the rain. Please.” The woman said, almost insistently. 

Misaki bit her lip, “I-I guess… if you really don’t mind.” She glanced down at her muddied shoes, thanking the darkness of the night for concealing her face, red from shame. Great job Misaki! Look at you go, brave explorer gets bested by the rain and has to have a complete stranger take you in and clean you up! 

“Excellent!” The woman said approvingly, “Now I must ask dearest, what shall I refer to you as? It would be most beneficial to know your name.” 

“O-Oh uh…” Misaki felt reluctance pull her back from continuing on. She eventually gave in, coming to the conclusion that if she was risking spending the night with this mystery woman her name wouldn’t be that revealing, “It’s Misaki… Misaki Okusawa.” 

“Ah! Misaki! What a fleeting name! It must be fate that has pulled our two souls together, wouldn’t you agree?” The woman struck yet another dramatic pose.

Fleeting… What did that even mean? This girl was all over the place. Misaki let out a shaky laugh, “I don’t know about that… what about you? Your name I mean, if you don’t mind me asking?”

The woman tilted her head in thought for a moment, “Ah yes, I shall not leave one of my kittens in question. My name is Kaoru Seta! You may refer to me any way you like my dear.” Kaoru winked at Misaki, and held out her hand, “Shall we make our way inside? I’m assuming you’re cold.”

Misaki sucked in a breath, the oddity of this girl astounded her. She was on a whole different level of weird. Sure she had dealt with the likes of Hagumi and Kokoro for years, but she had gotten used to their random energy spurts, she knew how to tucker them out and knew what distracted them. But this woman… Kaoru… she was uncharted territory. She had a loud yet polite way of talking, she made her sentences sound like she was in a play. She had this odd way of flirting that could be seen as common decency or border line hitting on her. Misaki had come to a conclusion, this girl was weird. But she could deal with that, it was only one night.

Misaki nodded and hesitantly took Kaoru’s hand in hers, “Thank you again- Seta-san.” 

“Seta-san? My! What formalities please, allow yourself to get comfortable Misaki, dearest.” Kaoru said, aghast leading Misaki off towards the entrance of the mansion. 

Misaki’s eye twitched with irritation. Clearly this girl forgot half the things that came out of her big mouth as, ‘You may refer to me any way you like my dear.’ had been quickly forgotten. She let out a small breathy laugh, “Alright… Kaoru-san.”

The older lead Misaki past the side of the mansion, subjecting Misaki to the likes of extravagant fountains, marble pillars, and entryway doors bigger than Misaki’s cottage bedroom. Misaki restrained herself from looking like an entire idiot and kept a neutral expression. Sure she had just visited the Shirasagi manor, but Misaki had never expected to see such a building in the middle of the Tsurumaki forest. 

Kaoru let go of Misaki’s hand to open up the large wooden door, light spewed from the structure. Misaki squinted her eyes and she observed the indoors. The floor covered in a bright white carpet, Misaki knew she would trail in mud just from stepping on the floor. Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, two staircases led to large hallways. 

“Welcome to the estate my dear kitten. Please let yourself get adjusted to the lobby all you like.” Kaoru offered, waiting for Misaki to take a few steps into the lobby. The brunette cringed at how the carpet immediately dirtied as soon as her shoes touched it. 

Misaki looked back at Kaoru, “I’m sorry- shouldn’t I wait outside? My shoes are kind of… messy.” 

Kaoru closed the door behind her staring back at Misaki, “Oh, don’t worry my dear! The maids will clean it up promptly. It’s no amount of effort for them, I assure you.”

“You have maids?” Misaki asked, tilting her head to the side. 

“Oh well they’re technically not maids. Not in the way you’d think they are-” Kaoru started before she was quickly cut off by the tapping of another’s shoes nearby. 

“Kaoru-san there you are, you weren’t in the library I was worried-” A feminine voice called out from one of the higher up hallways, a brunette girl in greasy work clothes, with a wrench in her hand emerged from the staircase. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw Misaki.

“Ah! Maya! What great timing, we have a guest, if that wasn’t apparent. This is Misaki Okusawa, she will be staying with us for the night.” Kaoru said, waving her hand in the air. 

“P-Pardon the intrusion.” Misaki said, eyes darting down the floor in embarrassment. Great, just great now two people have seen her in such an unsightly state. 

Maya’s face softened to a smile, “The estate sure seems to be busy lately huh? Not that I mind, I like the company.” Maya walked down the staircase to approach the two.

“I believe we owe her a bath and perhaps some tea? The poor thing looks dehydrated.” Kaoru said, glancing at Maya. 

Misaki’s cheeks burnt from the older girl practically babying her, she wished she didn’t look so pathetic. 

“R-Right away Kaoru-san! I’ll take Okusawa-san to the bath right away.” Maya said, a confident look on her face. 

“Ah! The fleeting depths of your heart Maya, however shall I thank you?” Kaoru said, with another flourish of her arm, “Well I best be off! I will prepare some tea in the library. We shall have a lovely chat after your bath.” Kaoru wandered off, up the staircase and into the left hallway. 

Maya and Misaki watched as the eccentric Kaoru walked off, until the clicking of her shoes ceased. 

“Well Okusawa-san, it’s nice to meet you. You look like you’re in pretty bad shape, let’s fix that.” Maya said, patting Misaki’s back.

Misaki simply nodded as Maya led her to what she assumed was the bath. 

There was an awkward silence between the two. Unlike Kaoru, Maya didn’t seem to make much effort for conversation. She seemed a lot less extra than Kaoru which was refreshing. 

“She sure is… unconventional.” Misaki said, with a small laugh.

Maya looked back at Misaki and let out a laugh of her own, “Yeah, Kaoru-san is a little weird when you first get to know her. But she’s a really nice person, y’know? Must’ve been a weird first impression I’m assuming?” 

“Yeah I guess so… she kind of alarmed me while I was being creepy in the garden. I hope this isn’t too much of a bother?” Misaki said, scratching the back of her head. 

“Oh no, not at all. We get plenty of wanderers, Kaoru doesn’t have it in her heart to not let people into the estate. It’s just the two of us so we like the company.” Maya said, smiling.

Misaki’s face lit up in shock, “Just the two of you? You mean you’re married to her?” 

Maya’s eyes widened in shock as well before she let out a laugh, “Kaoru-san and I? You’re funny Okusawa-san. Not a chance, I’m just simply Kaoru-san’s assistant. And besides, I’m engaged.” Maya said, gesturing to the ring on her left hand, “And besides, Kaoru-san’s always been the type of girl to keep her options open.” 

“O-Oh! Sorry for assuming! I just thought if you were living alone with her in the middle of the woods…” 

“No it’s fine. A lot of people assume that, so it’s normal. I help fix up Kaoru-san’s fancy house and she lets me crash in one of the bedrooms. I also fix the cleaning staff.” Maya said, grinning slightly.

Misaki’s face scrunched up in confusion, “Fix them?” 

“Oh! You probably haven’t seen them yet! Are you aware of steampunk technology? Well it’s been on the rise lately! It’s the future of technology, a lot of people are saying that! I specialize in it, I’ve made all kinds of inventions for Kaoru-san’s house. They do all the cooking, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks a regular housemaid would do! I always work on that kind of stuff in my freetime, right now I’m fixing up one of the dusting robots and-” Maya’s excited eyes glanced over at Misaki, her face suddenly flushing with embarrassment, “A-Ah, my apologies! I kind of get carried away when I talk about equipment…” 

“Haha… It’s fine I was interested anyways. Where I live we don’t really have that kind of technology…” Misaki said, reassuring Maya.

“Really? Where do you live, Okusawa-san?” Maya asked, leading Misaki through another hallway. 

Oh crud. Misaki didn’t know how well living in the forest would go with Maya and Kaoru. Well sure they lived in the woods too but she lived in a shabby cottage and they lived in a goddamn mansion, “Oh… you know just in a village… nearby.” Misaki cringed internally. 

“Hmm… I see.” Maya gave Misaki a long quizzical look before stopping at a large white door, “Okay we’re here. There should be some robots in the bathroom that’ll help start up your bath.” Maya opened the bathroom door slowly. 

Misaki sucked in a breath, the luxury of the bathroom astounded Misaki. Never had she ever been in such a fancy bathroom. There was a huge tub, and polish marble floor, the bathroom was probably bigger than her entire cottage. Figures, it was a mansion, but still. 

“You can throw your clothes in the chute over there, the robots will wash them for you.” Maya explained, pointing to what seemed to be a hatch on the left wall, “Oh, do you want me to take your bag for you? I’ll put it in your guest room.” 

Misaki glanced down, looking at her muddied up backpack, “Oh yes! Yes that works, just let me put something in it quickly.” Misaki shrugged her bag off, opening the back pocket. She slipped the hairclip and handkerchief into the cleanest pocket she could find, hoping to not ruin the scent of the objects with mud.

Maya took the backpack from Misaki and gave her a smile, “Alright, I’ll take this to your guest room. Enjoy your bath!” 

“Yes, thank you Maya-san. I apologize for the inconvenience all together. Your hospitality is appreciated.” Misaki said formally, feeling a sense of embarrassment from being treated so kindly. 

“It’s no problem at all Okusawa-san. Please make yourself at home.” Maya said, before closing the door on Misaki, leaving her to her own devices. 

Misaki turned to look at the large bathroom. As she had noted before, it was shiny and fancy. It had been a long time since Misaki had been in a human styled bathroom. Back in the Forest the luxury of running water wasn’t available. But due to the fairies and their uppity sense of hygiene, perfectly filtered lakes full of warm water were at her disposal. Before Misaki had moved to the forest the water wasn’t all that great either. She wasn’t an upper class so she didn’t get the honor of blinding white polished bathtubs, or soft fluffy towels. So in the end of things this bathing arrangement was a first for her. 

Misaki stripped herself of her muddy and messy clothes, discarding them in the laundry chute. While her skin was still damp, Misaki quickly realized the room was a lot warmer than she had expected. Without the overwhelming stench of mud clinging to her clothes, Misaki could acknowledge the faint fragrance of vanilla wafting through the bathroom. Rich people… they have it good. 

The brunette walked over to the tub, sucking in a breath, feeling shame for the dirtiness she was about to bestow upon this poor poor tub. She hadn’t gone unnoticed by the steam powered mechanics, as they quickly did her a once over before starting up the bath. Warm water pouring from the faucet below, the robots pouring bottles of soap into the bathtub. 

“Damn, Maya-san must have these programmed to a tee.” Misaki muttered under her breath, the machinery working in clocklike motions until eventually the tub had been filled. The robots moved away from the full tub, giving Misaki space. 

She slipped a foot into the tub, soap surrounding her legs as she took a few steps into the water. It was such a pleasant feeling, the way the bottom of the tub wasn’t rough, and the water was just the perfect temperature. While Misaki had her qualms about staying in a stranger's house this beat wallowing in the rain for the rest of the night. 

Misaki leaned against the back of the tub, scrubbing mud off of her arms and legs as she reclined. She took a moment to recollect her thoughts, and scope out the entire situation. She was in a mansion, in the middle of the woods. The people that owned the mansion were a tech savvy engineer with a funny laugh, and an overly dramatic weirdo with an affinity for large sentences. Misaki had never once seen this mansion, nor heard of it. Kokoro and her family had failed to mention such a place continuously while having a full understanding of the forest. What on Earth?

While all of that certainly was puzzling, there was something that irked Misaki more than anything. Why in the world were two smart and wealthy people kicking it in the middle of the Tsurumaki Forest? It just didn’t make sense. Sure rich people did like seclusion from the lower classes but surely there were better places to get away, right? The forest was a place of wild magic, Misaki had always held the impression that the wealthy were disgusted by the forest’s inhabitants. Staying in the same area as them just seemed absurd to Misaki. 

Of course there were reasons humans ventured into Tsurumaki forest. To find certain flora or fauna, their magical qualities prove to be useful to the humans. Of course there were travelers who dared to enter the forest to find another promised land. The only other option Misaki could think of is if someone wanted no trace of themself any longer, to stay hidden in the forest, where most didn’t dare to look. But Kaoru didn’t seem very keen on staying hidden… she seemed like the type to flaunt her riches or success. A bragger. That was the question. 

As she was sitting in thought the bathroom door creaked open slightly, a small robot wheeling into the room. Misaki’s eyes darted to the folded clothing it had attached to its base. The robot stopped at the tub, it’s metallic claw pointing out towards Misaki, a note grasped within it. 

Misaki took the note from the robot and stared at the contents, ‘Okusawa-san, I forgot to give you clothing to change into so here it is. Your clothes won’t be dry for a while so this is a substitute -Yamato Maya.’ 

She hadn’t even thought about what she was going to wear. Maya was one step ahead of her. Still it made her feel bad that she was now borrowing Kaoru’s clothes as well. There was nothing she could really do about it though. The brunette sighed and leaned over the tub to take a look at the garment in question. 

Blue silk spread across Misaki’s fingers as she grabbed the outfit, her eyes widening in surprise, “She wants me to wear this?”

\-----

“Ah! Misaki, what a sight for sore eyes. My heart ached the moment we parted in the doorway. I trust you had a nice bath?” Kaoru was attentive as ever, she was sitting in a cushioned reading chair, a book laying in her lap. Her hands were held out in a dramatic motion, teacup delicately held up by Kaoru’s ring and middle finger. 

The two were currently in Kaoru’s library, it was small but tidy. Books lined every wall, and in between the shelves were three chairs, a table presumably for snacks and tea, and a lamp which dimly lit the room. 

Misaki had just stepped out of the bath, her hair slightly damp. But she was less disheveled and dirty, which Misaki considered a plus, “Yeah, it was great… Thank you, again. I just… I had my own outfits in my bag. I could’ve worn one of those… not… this.” Misaki said, feeling her cheeks flush up with embarrassment. 

Kaoru set down her teacup, giving Misaki a smile, “But I knew it would fit you well. The blue brings out your eyes, like a lovely night bloom. So rare yet so beautiful when you get a good look at it.” 

Misaki was currently wearing a light blue silk gown. It was in no doubt the fanciest thing she had ever worn. Sure she had worn dresses before, but never something as intricately crafted as the current one. It had frills and layers, and soft fabric to the touch. Just the thought of someone like her wearing a dress meant for royals and aristocrats was overwhelming to Misaki. 

“You’re quite the flirt, aren’t you?” Misaki scoffed, diverting eye contact with Kaoru, taking a sudden interest in the floor. 

Kaoru simply let out a small chuckle, “Maya is bringing some biscuits to stave off some  
potential hunger. She’ll be here soon, but I insist, while we wait, come sit down with me my dear. Let us converse to our hearts content as we wait for our friend’s arrival.” Kaoru said, gesturing to one of the empty chairs in front of her. 

Misaki hesitantly sat down in one of the cushioned chairs, restraining herself from acting  
too surprised by the comfort of the seat. 

Kaoru leaned forward towards the table in front of her, grabbing the teapot resting on it and pouring the brown liquid into a cup, “Are you one for tea, Misaki?”

Misaki glanced up, Kaoru’s red eyes staring back at hers, “I like tea as much as the next person. Why do you ask?”

“I simply wish to make small talk with you, little kitten. I’m infatuated with you, I must know more about you.” Kaoru said, placing the teacup on a small plate, sliding it towards Misaki. 

“I suppose that’s fair… Well if we’re getting to know each other then I must ask, what’s up with that little kitten nickname? You’ve called me, ‘kitten,’ a couple of times, it’s kind of weird.” Misaki said, eyebrows furrowing as she picked up the small porcelain cup.

“Ah, but that is what you are my dear. A small kitten, so cute yet so vulnerable. That is why you are a kitten.” Kaoru said, laughing to herself. 

“I wouldn’t really consider myself a kitten.” Misaki said, taking a sip of her tea. 

“I beg to differ.” Kaoru started, quickly interrupted by Maya abruptly opening the door.

“Oh, Okusawa-san you’re here! Just in time, I brought some biscuits for the tea. Will this be enough, Kaoru-san?” Maya asked, holding out the plate of biscuits. 

“Yes, that’ll be just enough Maya. I deeply admire your help my dear.” Kaoru said, giving Maya a big smile, “Now that all of us are here, shall we move onto the main topic of tonight?”

“The… main topic?” Misaki repeated, in question, tilting her head to the side. 

“Yes, of course the main topic. Whenever I open my doors for my poor defenseless kittens it always leads to the question, what on earth were you doing in the middle of the woods my dear?” Kaoru asked, propping her chin up with a hand, “I seem to remember you dodging my question in the garden earlier.” 

“Oh… that… yeah…” Misaki felt herself shudder a bit as she racked her brain for vague statements, “I was just… looking for something…” 

“Looking for what?” Maya asked, sitting down in the chair adjacent to Kaoru.

Shit! Misaki wasn’t expecting Maya to question her as well. Curse you Maya and your understandable questions! Misaki sucked in a breath, “A… A hair clip! You know, that hair clip I was holding out in the garden! It’s blue and yellow and has little flowers on it- I lost it and I found it in your garden. Wasn’t expecting it to be there…” Misaki let out a small nervous laugh. If given the opportunity to slap herself in that moment, Misaki most definitely would have. 

Kaoru gave Misaki a skeptical look before questioning Misaki further, “Well now that you’ve found your beloved hair clip… where will you be returning when the night is over?” 

Misaki thought for a moment, “To the villages… in the North. The ones closest to the manors and the castle.” Misaki said, which isn't completely a lie. Sure she didn’t live in the actual human villages, but she sure as hell lived near them.

“To the North? Maya didn’t Eve-chan say she was going to be up in the North with her family?” Kaoru asked, glancing over at Maya.

“Yes! She did! She’s going to be up there until the end of October, and then she’ll be back down here for the remainder of the year.” Maya said, her face forming into a large smile. 

“Eve?” Misaki asked, shifting around in her seat slightly.

“I trust that Maya has spoken to you about her marriage, correct? She’s engaged to Eve-chan, the woman we’re referring to.” Kaoru said, glancing back at Misaki, “Ah, love is ever so fleeting.”

Maya laughed a bit, “Yeah, she’s usually here with us. Her family is from way down in the South but right now they’re doing business up in the North. You haven’t seen a girl with white braids, blue eyes, and a very energetic personality have you?”

“I don’t think I would get the chance to see her… I’m not really part of the richer class.” Misaki said, setting down her teacup. 

“I see. Well you’ll be heading back to the villages in the morning, right? I’m sure Kaoru-san and I could escort you to the edge of the woods.” Maya said, glancing at Kaoru.

“Why of course! We wouldn’t want our beloved Misaki getting lost again.” Kaoru said, nodding in agreement. 

Something about the way Maya phrased that sentence struck a chord with Misaki. They’d escort her to the edge of the woods… Why wouldn’t they just take her to the villages? That didn’t make any sense... Misaki’s head swarmed with thoughts, resulting in her reluctantly pushing them to the back of her mind. There were more pressing matters, such as, how she was going to politely decline Maya and Kaoru’s offer.  
“Oh… you don’t have to do that… I’ll be fine walking myself back…” Misaki said, dismissively.

“But Misaki! What if you were to get lost again? Surely you don’t know your way around the woods all that well.” Kaoru exclaimed, an expression of worry spreading across her face.

“I… well…” Misaki fidgeted with the silken skirts of her dress, trying to come up with a lackluster response. All of this was weird. These two live in the middle of the woods, she had never heard of this mansion before. Kokoro and the other fairies would’ve surely mentioned it. The two seemed complacent with staying in the woods, away from the public eye. That raised another question, why wasn’t Maya out with her fiance Eve? Why did she have to stay in the confinement of the mansion? Why were they only willing to take her as far as the forest barrier? 

“Okusawa-san? Are you okay? You look dreadfully pale.” Maya said, concern masking her face as well. 

Misaki snapped back into attention, “Oh! Sorry I zoned out… I just feel like I’m taking advantage of your kindness…”

“Nonsense my dear! It is but a duty of myself to help little kittens such as yourself home. It is quite the common task.” Kaoru said, giving Misaki a smile of reassurance. 

Quite the common task? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Misaki thought for a moment, biting her lip. Kaoru did mention before that guests were commonplace in their mansion, even strangers that they didn’t know. Could that mean… 

Kanon’s hair clip. That was it. Misaki had let it slip her mind, why was Kanon’s hair clip in Kaoru’s garden? And where did Kanon go after that? Could it be… no would Kaoru ever do that? But then again Kaoru did seem like the type. That horrible stomach biting feeling gnawed at Misaki’s stomach as her mind flooded with ideas. 

Misaki sucked in a breath, “I suppose so…” She finally replied, “If you’re so sure-” 

Kaoru nodded in satisfaction, “Very good, now I suppose you’re tired my dear? Would you allow me to escort you to your bedroom?” 

“Sure… there’s no harm in that.” Misaki said, giving Kaoru a skeptical look. While she didn’t want to jump to conclusions, Misaki's gut was already telling her that Kaoru Seta was indeed a phantom thief.

\-----

It was a silly story that the elders told in the Northern Villages. A few decades back there was a massive number of missing villages, aristocats, and royalty alike. All of them female. One night a woman would be safe at home and the next night, she wouldn’t. There was no trace of the victim when the night was over, inhabitants of their homes heard nothing during the night. They were just gone like that. It was quite the predicament at the time. 

Eventually the source of the issue had been revealed. A group of men, women, and various people alike had formed a guild, and they labeled themselves as phantom thieves. The thieves would steal women that they claimed, ‘needed saving,’ and whisk them off to private secluded manors. It took years until all the women had been recovered, not a single one hurt physically. This struck society as strange. There were no sexual goals, or money that the thieves wanted out of the women. They were unharmed and treated in a gentlemen like way. Like princesses. 

Of course there was the all around immoral ideal of abducting women from their houses, leading to the majority of the thieves being imprisoned or ostracized from local communities. The problem had been resolved, or so they had thought. Books and papers left behind by the thieves had been published and spread across the kingdom after a decade of silence. And suddenly, out of nowhere, people started picking up the thieves ideals again. While it was a minority of people, it was still a complication for the knighthods and kingdoms. 

Elders would often tell the children to lock their doors at night and always keep a dagger under their pillow, unless they wanted to be stolen by a phantom thief. When Misaki was a child, she considered this foolish nonsense. She knew as long as she just locked her doors she wouldn’t be stolen by some phantom thief. And when she had made her move to the woods, all fear of phantom thieves had been diminished. 

Misaki lay in one of the many guest rooms provided by Kaoru, a borrowed silken nightgown borrowed from her. The bed she was occupying had to be the fluffiest and most comfortable beds Misaki had ever had the pleasure of lying in. The room's comforts weren’t enough to soothe the brunette to sleep after her sudden realization in the library. 

She wasn’t only aware of the fact that Kaoru uncannily fit all of The Phantom Thief guild’s criteria and ideals, but that she would not let Kaoru escort her back to the edge of the woods. She had come too far, and she had a sneaking suspicion that she was close to Kanon. Her theory for the time being is that Kanon was somewhere in the mansion. But where? Misaki didn’t know the building all too well but if she had to guess it’d be somewhere low to the ground. Somewhere that would avoid a guard dog’s sense of smell. But Misaki wasn’t a guard dog, her nose was much more sensitive than that. 

Misaki shifted out of her bed, walking to the other side of the guest room, picking up her bag. A hair clip and a handkerchief was all she had of Kanon, but it was enough. Misaki had thought of a plan to find Kanon and escape the mansion entirely. 

First she would get dressed, gather her bearings, and find a sharp object. She would follow Kanon’s scent until she located the girl. Get Kanon out, and find her way out of the mansion, head back to the kingdom. Kaoru won’t pursue her due to being stuck in her mansion, and Misaki will be able to return home. It was easy. Well it was only easy if the plan went off without a hitch. 

Misaki quickly got dressed with a pair of borrowed clothes from Kaoru, she pocketed the handkerchief and hair clip, and finally fixed a dagger to the side of her waist. The brunette gently opened the door to her guest room, the hallways dim the only provided light coming from lanterns lining the walls. She was on the third floor of the mansion, it’d be best if she made her way to the bottom one fast. 

She quietly made her way through the hallway, making sure her footsteps were as quiet as possible. There was the occasional whirring of machines in the mansion but no sign of Kaoru or Maya up. That was good. 

As Misaki made her way down the staircase Misaki took it upon herself to take in the scent of Kanon’s belongings. Previously the mansion’s floral and fanciful scents had clouded Misaki’s senses, but as she focused on the smell of Kanon it became much more clear, something of Kanon’s or even Kanon herself was in this building. 

Misaki glanced around the dark hallway of the second floor, if she remembered correctly the next staircase was just across the east hallway. The bathroom was near that staircase, then she could take it upon herself to explore the first floor. 

As the brunette made her way through the hallway she took the liberty of familiarizing herself with the hallways. While it was dark Misaki took notice of the high ceilings and the way her footsteps slightly echoed, as if there was an absence in the mansion. The silence was strange to Misaki, it wasn’t that she didn’t mind it, it just struck her as odd. All of her experiences in this mansion thus far had been loud and busy. 

As Misaki pondered to herself she almost missed the loud mechanical beep behind her. Misaki spun around, hand gripping at the dagger on her waist. A small robot stood in the middle of the wide hall, a red sensor staring at Misaki. The robot let out another loud beep as it wheeled closer to her. 

It wasn’t Maya or Kaoru, that was a relief, but she knew these robots were loyal to Maya to the end. And she wasn’t taking any chances. Misaki took a swing at the robot with her now unsheathed dagger, the dull blade digging into a wire on the robot’s base. The robot’s frequent beeps died down as the wire snapped, the red sensor going black. A small clicking noise released from the robot as it fell to the floor.

Misaki crouched down to poke the small machine, until it was apparent she had killed the robot. Misaki let out a sigh and stood up, that was inconvenient. It didn’t look like anyone was stirring despite the noise, but it was good to be cautious. She walked down the hall quicker than she had been before, making her way down the second staircase. 

She stopped at the bottom of the staircase, glancing around the first floor. She had yet to explore this floor, she had only gotten acquainted with the entryway, and Misaki doubted that Kanon was just loitering around in the lobby. 

To go left or right, that was the question. Misaki raised the hair clip up to her nose, right it was. Kanon’s scent was easily trackable if she cleared her mind of the floral scents flooding the mansion. She just had to stay focused. 

Misaki walked through the large archway that led to what seemed to be a lounge room. A large window displayed the front garden, sofas and tables were scattered about the room. Large paintings of literary masters and philosophers acted as decor along the walls. While Kaoru did seem like a massive idiot she did have a good eye for room decoration. 

Misaki continued to follow the scent through the kitchen, throughout the winding hallways, finally landing on a tea room. Take it upon rich people to have a room dedicated to the consumption of tea. 

The scent was the strongest in the tea room, Misaki’s eyes darted around the room. There was an empty table, a cabinet filled with tea cups, a large window, a door leading to the garden, and a coat rack. Bingo. 

“You have a habit of wandering, don’t you kitten?” 

Misaki’s heart almost leaped out of her chest, she had been so dead set on finding Kanon or even evidence Kanon had been there she hadn’t been paying attention to the noises around her. Still how wasn’t she able to hear Kaoru sneak up on her? Her senses weren’t that dull. Misaki turned around to give Kaoru a glance that lacked confidence.

“It is quite late. You aren’t one that values beauty sleep, are you Misaki?” Kaoru asked, a smug smirk marked her face but the tiredness in her ears was noticeable. 

The brunette grumbled a bit, “How did you even know I was awake?”

“I had a robot take watch of you from outside of your room. When you left your room I was alerted, I was even more concerned when you deactivated the robot.” Kaoru said, crossing her arms as if she was disappointed. 

Misaki’s eyebrows furrowed as she drew her dagger, “Listen I didn’t want to make this harder than this is, I’m leaving this place but I’m searching it before I go. I can’t afford to stay here. I know what you are.” 

Kaoru gave Misaki a calculated look, “And what exactly am I, my dear?”

“Don’t play dumb with me! I know you’re one of those weirdos who still believes in Phantom Thief ideals! You fit their criteria entirely, why else would you live in the middle of the fucking woods?” Misaki said, exasperated, glaring at Kaoru.

Kaoru’s eyes widened in surprise, there was a moment of silence, and then a laugh, “You’re not the first to question it. I should’ve expected this from you, you’re a smart one Misaki. But you’re also a terrible actor.” Kaoru said, granting Misaki with a cocky smile. 

Misaki’s eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?” 

“In the library you gave a horrible excuse as to why you were in the woods, as well as your reluctance for Maya and myself to escort you home. I would’ve believed it if you weren’t such a bad liar, you know, your ears turn red when you get nervous?” Kaoru said, taking a step closer to Misaki. 

The brunette sucked in a breath, “Sure, okay I lied! But you don’t deny you’re a Phantom Thief? Are you the horrible kind that imprisons girls?” Misaki said, taking a few steps back. 

Kaoru looked appalled, “Why of course not! That would defy Phantom Thief code entirely, we simply take in women who need help. If I could simplify it, it’s like a foster program. I let women stay in my house for as long as they please, and they may leave when they wish to. But in the end, I don’t deny it. While my guests know me as Kaoru Seta, I’m known as a Phantom Thief when I adorn the uniform of the guild.” 

Misaki took in a shaky breath, feeling her back press up against the wall, “You don’t… keep the women? Then why…?” 

Kaoru walked in front of Misaki, standing just two feet away from her, no trace of fear on her face, “Now that I’ve divulged my secrets to you, I feel it fair that you explain something to me, my dear. What is the true reasoning behind your ventures into the woods?” 

“I-” Misaki’s arm shook, she was the one with the weapon but she felt helpless compared to Kaoru. Kaoru took notice and gently took grasp of Misaki’s wrist, the dagger releasing from her grip and falling to the floor.

“Take your time.” 

“I’m not from the North Village. Well partially.... I live in the woods. With the fairies… y’know? Just recently…. The fiance of the Princess went missing… Her name was Kanon Matsubara. She had blue hair and purple eyes, and the Princess told me she’d give me any reward if I tracked down Kanon. I need to finish this task, not because I promised… but because I desperately need this reward. More than anything…” Misaki took in another shaky breath at the feeling of Kaoru’s thumb running against her palm, “The Princess gave me a belonging of Kanon’s, her handkerchief, I followed the scent of this handkerchief all the way to your mansion. And I found her hair clip… after realizing you were a Phantom Thief I thought you had locked her up or something…”

Kaoru was silent for a moment, “If you were describing a timid blue haired girl then she did run through here, you are correct. Maya and I tried to take her in, to no avail. She seemed panicked and lost, she ran off in the middle of the night, and she wasn’t there when we woke up. Such a curious kitten, she was so distressed but she never disclosed why to me…” 

“So she wasn’t even here… ugh I waited a whole night… Shirasagi-san is gonna kill me.” Misaki said, groaning in defeat.

Kaoru’s eyes lit up for just a moment at Misaki’s words, “I wouldn’t have imagined the Princess had a fiance at this age.” 

“Well she is around our age, right? I guess royalty has to marry sooner. That’s besides the point! I’m sorry for inconveniencing you but I really have to go. I need to find Kanon and fast, I promised that I’d be back in no time.” Misaki said, a frown forming on her face, the brunette tried to break Kaoru’s grasp, walking away from the wall. 

“Misaki! Wait!” Kaoru said, her usual fanciful tone dropping for just a moment, “You’re really just going out into the woods alone again?”

“I just told you I originally lived in the woods, right? I can handle myself.”

“But it must be such a tiresome task all by yourself. You were already exhausted by the first day of your journey, let me help you.” Kaoru said, concern masking her face. 

“I… That doesn’t make any sense. Sure you may be all chivalrous on the outside but no one just helps a random forest freak do a Princess’s quests.” Misaki said, sternly.

Kaoru laughed, “That’s why you’re a smart one, Misaki. You think, you don’t let your emotions take control… of course I have ulterior motives, everyone does. But deep down in my heart I don’t wish to use you, helping you would benefit myself and it would give me the greatest pleasure of assisting you.” 

“Mm… I don’t know…” Misaki said, looking down towards her hand, which was still grasped within Kaoru’s. 

“I promise Misaki, you won’t regret this. I could swear upon all holy divinities that I will not harm you during this quest, I simply wish to assist you.” Kaoru said, placing her free hand on her heart. 

Misaki pursed her lips into an unsure frown, but that look Kaoru was giving her was so genuine. She let out a sigh and gave in, “Fine… I don’t know how much you can even do anyways…” 

Kaoru’s eyes lit up with joy, “Excellent! I assure you Misaki, I won’t let you down.” Kaoru raised Misaki’s hand to her lips, giving it a small chaste kiss. 

Misaki’s cheeks went red, “But if you’re going to help me you have to stop being such a goddamn flirt!” 

Kaoru let out another laugh, “I can’t promise that.” 

God, what the hell has Misaki gotten herself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH sorry this took so long. I've been procrastinating on writing this because my brain is stupid. I haven't written for the gays in the while so I took it upon myself to do so. I feel like this is going to be a long fic so just bear with me okay? I don't know if I wrote Kaoru or Maya super wonky I was tired, so we'll ignore it. I honestly think this is so sloppily written so excuse that. Anyways thank you for reading, I had fun writing this!

**Author's Note:**

> FUCK I finally finished it. I know this is a very short intro to a fic I've been wanting to write like forever. I've had this idea in the back of my head for so long I was thinking. Hey everyone Kaomisa fic writer or at least Kaoru writer loves Phantom Thief aus you should write one. And so I decided one day, 'hey you know what, I will!' this is also my birthday gift for my dear friend Edric who inspires me a lot to write even more! If you're reading this then happy birthday! I don't know how many chapters there will be I'm still fleshing it out. Also can I even tag Kaomisa at this point? Kaoru was barely in it?


End file.
